Evidence still matters

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

— Martin Luther King

In response to the column “Fascism goes mainstream,” [1] an American reader writes: “Can you tell me, with all my respect, how do you want Americans to love Islam after 3,000 were killed in behalf that name? I think you have to prove without reasonable doubt that Islam has nothing to do with 9/11 or just accept that it is the obvious result of the spiral of violence.”

Here is the classic example of a mindset subjected to the “mainstream” onslaught. This is what happens when we hide things that matter. In this case it is the evidence that the US hides: The evidence about the Taliban’s crimes against the US, the evidence about the perpetrators of 9/11, the evidence about Islam as the culprit.

Interestingly, such a mindset demands the accused to prove innocence without any reasonable doubt and ignore all questions. [2] There is much ado about the US and UK lies about the yet to be found WMD. However, there is a complete silence about evidence related to 9/11, which is the root of the increasing tensions. The result is that not only Muslims are considered guilty, but Islam is also in the dock and required to prove its innocence.

Among the analysts looking for peace among civilizations, there is no desire to protect Osama or the Taliban, or establish their innocence. They may very well be complicit in the attacks in the US. But withholding evidence, if there is any, or urging the US senate to "limit" inquiries, of coming us with a 9/11 Commission’s report that is totally silent about establishing as to who was responsible and on what basis, shows the story is not as simple as we are told to believe. We must ask for the evidence, not to exonerate Osama, but de-frame Islam and its close to 1.5 billion adherents.

Imagine the public reaction in the US if, instead of President Bush, any of the Muslim leaders had claimed in two public appearances to have seen the first plane hit the first tower on television on September 11, before the 2nd tower hit. The significance of this is that no one in the world had seen a plane hitting the first tower at that time on television.

This significance has, however, lost its value because Mr. Bush is not a Muslim, and the public has assumed that no non-Muslim could perpetrate a crime of this magnitude. Many other aspects on the public record clearly prove that Bush and his company had prior knowledge. Despite that if a crime occurs, it is no less than complicity. Whatever evidence surfaces to the end is instantly killed under the label of conspiracy theories.

The US intelligence could put the blame for 9/11 on the shoulders of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda within hours after the attack. However, no one has been held responsible for the Anthrax mailing so far. Were not these mailings part of the long chain of dirty tricks to not only unite the nation behind the Administration’s war effort, but also literally shut down any possible inquiries? Imagine the public reaction if, instead of confirming the US military strain, the New Science Journal and New York Times had come out to say the Anthrax belonged to Iranian facilities. [3] Imagine the horror, if, instead of an American University, San Francisco Chronicle had reported any University in the Muslim world destroying its anthrax spores at such a critical stage of investigation.

Instead of providing the world with solid evidence about the September 11 crimes, Mr. Bush urged Senate Leader to "limit" his inquiry on January 29 (CNN report, January 30 at 10:09:24 EST). It was followed by Dick Cheney’s call to Daschle to make the same request. Normally, with such a terrible thing, various leads and tracks appear that are then commented on by the investigators, the media, the government. In the case of 9/11, this has not been the case at all.

Various theories have been put forward to prove that the US played the whole drama for more oil and more natural resource. The truth however is that until the US government comes up with concrete evidence for justifying the "war on terrorism," Muslims would continue to doubt its intentions and non-Muslims would doubt Muslims and Islam.

The maze of unprecedented post-September 11 events — like the show of US military force in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Israeli carnage in the occupied territories, the Indo-Pak nuclear brinkmanship, the US and Israeli plans to attack Iran – must not divert our attention from demanding evidence about who in fact planned September 11.

Arabs could be the ones who hijacked the plans, but who sponsored them? Who gave them protective cover? Who facilitated all operations till the planes hit their respective targets? Was it really Al-Qaeda, or people who pronounce it al-qaeeeda? Exposure of the reality would certainly fail the years long anti-Islam theory and its aims which has worked itself through warp and woof of the daily American thought with a thoroughness that few realize.

As for blaming Islam is concerned, even if we believe the 9/11 official story, the US policy is more responsible for the inhuman reaction of the perpetrators than Islam. Islam does not teach these things (read the Qur’an) but whatever the US and Israel has done to Muslims, violent reactionaries among any people will react like this. Imagine if any country occupy the US for more than a century. Remember the American reaction to the British occupation! Is there any Muslim country that is free from the US direct or indirect occupation and interference?

It is easy to believe the official point of view but it is even easier to imagine those who have been pushed against the wall for decades. Take the example of Iraq. The US was expecting red carpet welcome there, thinking Iraqis have forgotten that the US imposed Saddam on Iraq for more than 30 years, including more than a decade of sanctions etc. Everyone sees what is happening now.

There are resistance fighters. There are those whose loved ones lost their lives to the US sanctions and bombings. There are reactionaries, but there are no exclusive “Islamist” or “Islamic terrorists,” who purely struggle to establish Islam. If these reactionaries were in love with Islam alone, if they wanted to establish Islamic state, Saddam was not only a secular Baathist, a legitimate target but also much weaker than the US and its allies. Why were they not reacting the way they are reacting now? Why did they not blow themselves from limb to limb then? The reason is that it is not Islam that calls them to react specifically in this manner. It is the US policies that has resulted in at least 1000 (Official count) dead GIs. One needs to think over all this outside the influence of "mainstream" media.

The evidence regarding 9/11 is therefore necessary because it would show that everything great, good, efficient, fair and honorable in not necessarily "American" or "western"; or everything mean, bad, blundering, cheating and dishonorable is "Islamic," a bad taste is "fundamentalist"; and the evil is "Islam." The changes of theme are continually rung in picture and story, in newspaper heading and moving-picture, in sermons and school book, until, of course, the King can do no wrong – the US is always right and a Muslim has no rights which an American or a westerner is bound to respect.

Only production of evidence on the part of US can eliminate anti Americanism in the Muslims world and reduce in the non-Muslim world the necessary despising and hatred of these savage half-men, known as Muslims. The US may not do so because it will stop the crusade in its track, whereas there are people at all levels in the US who want to the crusade to continue until they must win. [4] The same may well be the real perpetrators.

[3]. WILLIAM J. BROAD, “A NATION CHALLENGED: THE SPORES; Terror Anthrax Resembles Type Made by U.S. ,” New York Times, Late Edition – Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 1, December 3, 2001, Monday, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10E10F835590C708CDDAB0994D9404482 Also see the latest: 9/11 and Anthrax:FRAMING ARABS at http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/framingarabs.html

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